No Fewer Than Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Drive
At least 6 individuals have died during a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a sports arena in the West African nation.
The midweek "devastating" event seems to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of applicants who overcame security measures and rushed into the gates," announced a release from the nation's military.
22 others were hurt, including 5 who remain in serious state.
Thousands had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, the capital, with the hope of joining the military.
Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of about thirty-two percent, the most recent official data show, and such enlistment drives normally attract large crowds and frequently lead to chaotic scenes.
The deadline to submit applications for this recruitment was prolonged for a week to accommodate additional candidates, as a number had experienced challenges in the process.
Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede took place before the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.
The nation's leader President John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in medical care.
Calm has been restored, and the enlistment process has now begun.
